Processing apparatus

ABSTRACT

THE SPECIFICATION DISCLOSES AN APPARATUS FOR HOLLOWING OUT BODIES COMPRISING A POST, A CLAMP MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT THE POST BUT FIXED AGAINST MOVEMENT ALONG THE POST, A SUPPORT, MEANS TO MOUNT THE POST FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT IN A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION ON THE SUPPORT, MEANS TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE CLAMP WITH ROTATION OF THE CLAMP ABOUT THE POST AND A RADIALLY EXPANSIBLE CUTTER MECHANISM FOR HOLLOWING OUT A BODY WHICH CUTTER MECHANISM IS LOCATED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE CLAMP WHEN THE CLAMP IS CLOSED AND THE POST IS SLID LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORT WHEREBY THE CUTTER MECHANISM IS BROUGHT INTO OPERATION ON A BODY HELD BY THE CLAMP.

United States Patent [191 Collet 451 Aug. 27, 1974 1 PROCESSING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Clement Pierre Collet, 207 Avenue di Roule, Neuilly Sur Seine, France [22] Filed: Mar. 21, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 236,671

[52] US. Cl. 99/542 [51] Int. Cl A23n 3/12 [58] Field of Search 99/542, 541, 543, 544, 99/545 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS v R17,307 5/1929 Pease 99/542 2,097,170 10/1937 99/543 2,346,561 4/1944 99/544 2,835,294 5/1958 99/544 2,975,811 3/1961 Kugler 99/544 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins Attorney, Agent, or FirmCushman, Darby & Cushman [57] ABSTRACT The specification discloses an apparatus for hollowing out bodies comprising a post, a clamp mounted for rotation about the post but fixed against movement along the post, a support, means to mount the post for sliding movement in a longitudinal direction on the support, means to open and close the clamp with rotation of the clamp about the post and a radially expan sible cutter mechanism for hollowing out a body which cutter mechanism is located in the path of movement of the clamp when the clamp is closed and the post is slid longitudinally with respect to said support whereby the cutter mechanism is brought into operation on a body held by the clamp.

15 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PROCESSING APPARATUS The invention relates to an apparatus for hollowing out bodies.

The invention provides an apparatus for hollowing out bodies comprising a post, a clamp mounted for rotation about the post but fixed against movement along the post, a support, means to mount the post for sliding movement in a longitudinal direction on the support, means to open and close the clamp with rotation of the clamp about the post and a radially expansible cutter mechanism for hollowing out a body which cutter mechanism is located in the path of movement of the clamp when the clamp is closed and the post is slid longitudinally with respect to said support whereby the cutter mechanism is brought into operation on a body held by the clamp.

The support may include a cylinder in which a part of the post is slidably received, the cylinder being provided with resilient means which urges the post towards a location in which the clamp is clear of the cutter mechanism, and an abutment inside the cylinder for engaging a part of the post to arrest movement of the post when it reaches said location.

A portion of the post may be formed with a piston which with at least part of the cylinder provides a double acting ram, means being provided for supplying a fluid pressure medium to either end of the cylinder for moving the post axially.

The end of the cylinder adjacent the clamp may be provided with at least one ball race which guides the post for sliding movement.

In any of the above constructions for hollowing out fruits, a guillotine blade may be fixed to the post adjacent the rotational path of the clamp on the same side thereof as the cutter mechanism to cut off a portion of a fruit as the clamp moves in a direction to close the clamp.

In such constructions sealing means may be provided between the end wall of the cylinder adjacent the clamp, and the post.

Furthermore in such constructions the clamp may have a part-spherical cavity for receiving a fruit.

The means to open the clamp may comprise spring means to close the clamp and a cam fixed on the post to open the clamp over part of its movement onthe post around the post.

The cutter mechanism may include radially expandable blades and means to expand the blades when the cutter is in a body held in the clamp.

The radially expandable blade may be constituted by a pair of segmental blades having arcuate cutting edges and being hinged together at one end, the other end of one of the blades being hingedly mounted at a fixed location on a rotary spindle, and said expanding means comprises a push-rod slidably mounted in a bore in the spindle and connected to the post through means responsive to sliding movement of the post, the push-rod being hingedly connected to the other end of the other of the blades whereby sliding of the post to bring the clamp onto the cutter mechanism causes the push-rod to slide in the bore to radially expand the blades.

Means may be provided on the support for preventing sliding of the post and the clamp until the clamp is closed.

The means for preventing sliding of the post may comprise a pin on the support which engages a surface on the clamp when the clamp is not aligned with the cutter mechanism and which engages in a bore in said surface when the clamp is aligned with the cutter mechanism and is lowered onto the cutter mechanism.

In any of the above constructions for hollowing out metallic bodies, the clamp may have relatively moveable magnetic jaw elements.

The post may extend through the cylinder and is connected to a jacking mechanism which operates to effect axial movement of the post.

The clamp may be rotated about the shaft by a rotary drive mechanism.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through the clamping mechanism of an apparatus embodying the invention showing the clamp in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the clamping mechanism of FIG. 1 with the clamp in its closed position and lowered onto the cutter mechanism of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a part-sectional plan view of the apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a detail of the cutter mechanism.

Referring to FIG. 1 a fruit is inserted in the cavity provided in a two-part clamp comprising a movable jaw 1 and a fixed jaw 2, both of which are fixedly mounted on a clamp casing 3 which is rotatably mounted on a post 5. Plain bearing surfaces 4, or alternatively rolling bearings, are provided between the internal surface of the casing 3 and the post 5, and the casing is located axially with respect to the post between a shoulder on the post and a flange at the upper end of the post which carries a control lever 10. A cam 6 is rigidly fixed on the post 5 between the bearings 4. The cam surface of the cam 6 contacts a ball-bearing 7 which is provided on a shackle 8 the arms of which extend through bushes 9 provided in bores in the fixed jaw 2, and through aligned bores in the movable jaw 1. The movable jaw l is located on the shackle 8 between shoulders on its arms and nuts screwed onto the free ends of the arms.

The control lever 10 enables the rotation of the elements 1, 2 and 3 as a unit about the cam 6 which is firmly attached to the post 5. At the commencement of rotation a fruit is held manually in the clamp, and then, under the combined action of the cam 6 on the shackle 8 and springs 11 acting to hold the bearing 7 against the I cam, the movable jaw is moved towards the fixed jaw 2 to grip the fruit. The projecting part of the gripped fruit (usually the area where the stalk is found) encounters a guillotine blade 12 as the clamp is rotated further which severs the fruit and produces a circular aperture therein.

A finger 13 is upstanding from the upper portion 14 of a cylinder in which the post is slidably mounted in a bush 15. During the rotation of the unit comprising elements 1, 2 and 3, the guide finger l3 prevents the unit from descending. When the rotation has been completed and the post descends the finger is received in a bore 16 in the casing 3 thereby locking the casing in its rotated position. The post 5 is prevented from rotation by a pin 17 fixed inside the cylinder portion 14 which engages in a segmental recess 18 in the post, the recess being long enough in the axial direction to allow sliding of the post.

The cylinder portion 14 is mounted on a support surface 19 and a lower cylinder portion 20 extends below the portion 14. The post extends through portion 14 and into .portion and has a cylindrical enlargement 21 which acts as a piston in the cylinder portion 20. The upper end plate of portion 14 is provided with an annular sealing member which seals with the post 5 to prevent fruit juice entering the cylinder. A compression spring 22 acts between the lower'face of the enlargement 2] and the lower end of cylinder portion 20. The upper cylinder portion 14 is provided with a multi-row ball bearing bush 15 which radially locates the post through portion 14.

The post 5 and the clamp start to descend, still under the action of the lever 10, to lower the fruit in the clamp onto the rotating cutting mechanism having segmented blades 26, 27. The spring 22 is compressed and a pin 23 attached to the lower face of the enlargement 21 is brought to bear on end of the rocker lever 28 which by reaction pushes a member 25 associated with the cutting mechanism upwards. The upward displacement of the member 25 causes the blades 26 and 27, which initially lie against the rotary spindle 28 of the cutting mechanism, to radially expand the blades, as described below, to hollow out the fruit on the clamp. The cutter mechanism includes a motor 30 for rotating the cutters.

Complete opening of the blades produces a spherical cavity whereas incomplete opening produces an ovoid cavity.

The lever 10 remains in the lowered position for the period necessary for the tool to be able to carry out the hollowing out process. When the process is complete the lever 10 is released and under the action of the spring 22 the post 5 moves upwardly until the upper surface of the enlargement 21 engages the upper end wall of cylinder portion 20. The lever 10 is then rotated so as to release the hollowed out fruit from the clamp.

The cutting mechanism, as best seen in FlG. 4, comprises a spindle 28 having an axial bore in which a pushrod 29 is slidable. The push-rod is actuated by the member 25. The segmental blades 26 and 27 are pivotally connected at a pair of corresponding ends thereof. The other end of blade 26 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the spindle 28, and the other end of blade 27 is pivotally connected to the push-rod 2 through a slot in the spindle. Upward movement of the member 25 therefore results in displacement of the blades radially outwardly to effect the hollowing out of the fruit. It is possible to modify the above described apparatus within the scope of the invention by connecting the member 23 to a jack 33 for raising and lowering the shaft 5 automatically.

The cylinder 20 can be provided with two connectors 31 and 32, this enables the inlet and discharge of a pressure fluid into the lower cylinder portion 20 to effect upward and downward movement of post 5.

Furthermore the cylinder portion 20 can be replaced by an electric jack having an axial bore for the passage of a control screw which co-operates with a nut, for effecting the descent and ascent of the post 5.

By adopting any of the three last-mentioned features, the control for the rotation of the clamp is manual but the descent and ascent of the post 5 is automatic. The lever 10 may be replaced by a rotary jack or any other means having a rotary action. In this case the complete operation of the apparatus is automatic.

It will be appreciated that the above described apparatus can be used for hollowing out bodies other than fruit, for example wooden or metallic bodies.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for hollowing out bodies comprising a post, a clamp mounted for rotation about the post but fixed against movement along the post, a support, means to mount the post for sliding movement in a longitudinal direction on the support, means to open and close the clamp with rotation of the clamp about the post and a radially expansible cutter mechanism for hollowing out a body which cutter mechanism is located in the path of movement of the clamp when the clamp is closed and the post slid longitudinally with respect to said support whereby the cutter mechanism is brought into operation on a body held by the clamp.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support includes a cylinder in which a part of the post is slidably received, the cylinder being provided with resilient means which urges the post towards a location in which the clamp is clear of the cutter mechanism, and an abutment inside the cylinder for engaging a part of the post to arrest movement of the post when it reaches said location.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a portion of the post is formed with a piston which with at least part of the cylinder provides a double acting ram, means being provided for supplying a fluid pressure medium to either end of the cylinder for moving the post axially.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the end of the cylinder adjacent the clamp is provided with at least one ball race which guides the post for sliding movement.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the post extends through the cylinder and is connected to a jacking mechanism which operates to effect axial movement of the post.

' 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for hollowing out fruits wherein a guillotine blade is fixed to the post adjacent the rotational path of the clamp on the same side thereof as the cutter mechanism to cut off a portion of a fruit as the clamp moves in a direction to close the clamp.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the support includes a cylinder in which a port of the post is slidably received, the cylinder being provided with resilient means which urges the post towards a location in which the clamp is clear of the cutter mechanism, and an abutment inside the cylinder for engaging a part of the post to arrest movement of the post when it reaches said location, and wherein sealing means are provided between the end wall of the cylinder adjacent the clamp, and the post.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the clamp has a part-spherical cavity for receiving a fruit.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means to open the clamp comprise spring means to close the clamp and a cam fixed on the post to open the clamp over part of its movement on the post around the post.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cutter mechanism includes radially expandable blades and means to expand the blades when the cutter is in a body held in the clamp.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the radially expandable blades are constituted by a pair of segmental blades having arcuate cutting edges and being hinged together at one end, the other end of one of the blades being hingedly mounted at a fixed location on a rotary spindle, and said expanding means comprises a push-rod slidably mounted in a bore in the spindle and connected to the post through means responsive to sliding movement of the post, the push-rod being hingedly connected to the other end of the other of the blades whereby sliding of the post to bring the clamp onto the cutter mechanism causes the push-rod to slide in the bore to radially expand the blades.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on the support for preventing sliding of the post and the clamp until the clamp is closed.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the means for preventing sliding of the post comprises a pin on the support which engages a surface on the clamp when the clamp is not aligned with the cutter mechanism and which engages in a bore in said surface when the clamp is aligned with cutter mechanism and is lowered onto the cutter mechanism.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clamp has relatively moveable magnetic jaw elements.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the clamp is rotated about the shaft by a rotary drive mechanism. 

